News and Notes
News and Commentary from the Who2 Staff
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Mary Travers Dies at Age 72
The great Mary Travers of the folk group Peter, Paul & Mary has died.
The cause was side effects from chemotherapy for leukemia, a disease she had battled since 2004. She rallied after a bone marrow transplant in 2006, but faded this year.
Here's a lovely 1969 video that pretty much says it all about Travers and "the boys," as she called Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey. (The fourth dude is John Denver, who wrote "Leavin' On a Jet Plane.")
As great as her voice is, Mary's real magic shows at about the 0:59 mark, where she passes the lead to Denver -- the way she tosses her head to watch him, and then beams while he sings. She's the bright dot of paint that pulls the whole portrait together.
And that's a sweet little peck she gives Denver there at the very, very end of the clip.
(Image supplied by WENN. See more Mary Travers photos.)
Labels: John Denver, Peter Paul and Mary
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 7:20 AM 
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In tribute to Mary,thought I'd post the following lyrics to the public domain "Woman of Experience" biographical folk song I wrote about her during the 1980s:
"Women of Experience"
(chorus)
She's a woman of experience
She's a woman who is strong
She's a woman of intelligence
And she likes to sing folk songs.
(verses)
She was born in Old Kentucky
And raised in Bohemia
Her childhood was so lonely
But she found some joy in nature
Her parents taught her well
To always think for herself
And resist the Establishment
And that's why she sang folk. (chorus)
Around her was a crowd of rebels
Writers with words intense
Artists who hoped to change the world
And outfox the government
She rebelled against dumb authority
And refused to ape TV clones
Alienated and abandoned
She sang folk songs at home. (chorus)
She wandered in Washington Square
And sang along in the park
She read her quota of books
And sat in the coffeshops
She sang with a couple of men
And belted out her deep feelings
And fought for a better world
And they called her the "new folk queen." (chorus)
She's been through her family
And she's got some new lessons to share
And she's collected a lot of wisdom
And it's still fun to touch her hair
And she'll give you a passionate hug
And her spirit is still untamed
And she brings some love to the world
And sings folk songs in the middle of rain. (chorus)
I love their music. I offer my prayers and condolences to the family.
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